


Just a Little Drop of Sunlight (Just a Little Kiss)

by Rellanka



Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [28]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24086260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Rellanka
Summary: Four times Zack kissed Cloud's forehead, one time he did not, and one time they actually kissed.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697269
Comments: 6
Kudos: 325





	Just a Little Drop of Sunlight (Just a Little Kiss)

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a little disjointed, but I hope it flows okay. It's more a bunch of glances into notable occasions of forehead kisses then each forehead kiss. Mostly Cloud's POV, but it switches to Zack a few times for notable reasons. One of the scene's are the Nibelheim scene, because I love it and figured that it fit there. The other is also a scene from the game, but I put it in because it was heartbreaking but also made me sadder when it gave me the idea that Zack canonically used to just grab Cloud and plant a kiss on him at any time.

**First:**

“Hey, Zack?” Cloud said carefully as he regarded the man that he’d just run into in the hallway leading to Cloud’s next classroom. Cloud hadn’t known him for very long, but… the way that he seemed so sad, almost depressed, seemed uncharacteristic of the man. So different from the friendly, upbeat person that Cloud had met so briefly during the mission to Modeohime. It was so noticeable a change that Cloud couldn’t **not** say something. “Is everything… alright?” 

Zack grinned brightly, falsely, and puffed himself up, so forcedly cheerful that Cloud almost felt bad for recognizing it as a lie. “Yeah, I’m great! Never been better! Why do you ask?” 

Cloud stayed silent, not knowing what to say in response, and the more that he just stood there staring at Zack without saying a word, the more the man deflated. Finally, Zack ran his hand through his hair as he shook his head with a huff, “It’s that obvious, huh? I- probably shouldn’t even be telling you this, but I… lost someone. Really important to me. And now I just don’t know what to do.” 

Did it happen during the Modeohime mission? Zack had been so… lost, so quiet at the end of that mission while they made their way back. Sitting himself in a corner and refusing to speak a word to anyone until they’d landed and he’d practically thrown himself out of their plane. Cloud had had an inkling that some sort of horrible thing had happened, but he hadn’t known… 

Well. Cloud didn’t really know what to say, but he couldn’t just say nothing when Zack looked like that, defeated and grief stricken and guilty. Picking his words out with care, Cloud said tentatively, “If… if they cared about you the way that you cared about them, then… you living a good life is probably the best way you could honor them. I think… I think the thing they would want most would be to see you succeed in your dreams. To get to a place where you could smile again.”

Zack froze at his words, looking stricken, as if Cloud had said something far more meaningful and profound than he believed he had. Finally, a smile- a **real** smile- began to bloom on his face as hope was relit in his eyes. “You know what, Cloud? You’re right. You’re completely right. Angeal… he probably would be lecturing me right now if he could see how I’ve been lately.” Zack began to turn, presumably to take off to some location, before doubling back to grasp the back of Cloud’s neck firmly to draw his face toward Zack’s and press a firm kiss to his forehead. “Thanks, man. Thanks a lot.”

And then he rushed off, leaving Cloud a heavily blushing mess in the middle of the hallway. 

***

**Two hundred, fifty eighth:**

“Hey, Cloud, you doing alright?” Zack asked as he crouched before Cloud in the back of the truck.

Cloud was barely able to force out a garbled, “I’m fine.” even as the lurching and swaying of the truck caused his stomach to heave and twist in turn. Gaia, he really hoped he didn’t throw up in front of Sephiroth. That would be the rotten cherry on top of the already awful nightmare of having to go back to Nibelheim after having failed at everything he’d said he’d do. 

Thank the Gods that Zack was also here. After their second encounter, Zack had started popping up a lot, at first a welcome diversion from the humdrum life of a trooper. And then just welcome because he was **Zack** , and he was so much fun to be around, and such an amazing person, and someone who made Cloud feel confident and happy and so many other things. Things that Cloud would never say out loud, because he’d been lucky enough to get Zack as a friend- he wasn’t going to mess that up by forcing his one-sided feelings on the man. 

Zack sighed from where he was crouching, raising one hand to push Cloud’s hair back from his forehead, before pressing a quick, dry kiss to it. An odd habit of Zack’s that he seemed to do whenever he wanted to comfort Cloud or when he wanted Cloud to know that he was appreciated. Cloud had gotten a lot of forehead kisses from Zack since that very first one. He treasured each of them. 

“Just hold on for a while longer, okay? We’re almost there.” 

***

**Two hundred, sixty second:**

Cloud groaned softly as he regained consciousness, looking over to find Zack sitting on the other bed, gazing at him with his elbows on his knees. Zack’s eyes carried the same warmth they had for months now, but there was a confliction there, a darkness, that always seemed to appear when Zack was thinking of the person he’d lost. 

“Tifa’s safe. Don’t worry.” Zack said instantly, always kind, always wanting to help others with their worries while never leaning on anyone else for help with his own. 

“If only I were Soldier.” Cloud said. If only he were Soldier, maybe Zack would be able to lean on _him_.

But that only caused the darkness in his friend’s eyes to deepen. 

“Zack?” Cloud asked, uncertain. 

“Soldier is like a den of monsters. Don’t go inside.” Zack said, causing a chill to run up Cloud’s spine. 

Monsters? Did… did Zack believe that he was a monster? How could he, when he was the kindest, most caring person Cloud had ever known?

“What happened?” Cloud asked, all he could manage to say with the amount of worry running through him. 

“I don’t know, man.” Zack said with a sigh as he leaned back, “I thought I knew, but…”

Zack laid back on the bed with another deep sigh. 

“By the way, do you know Tifa?” Zack asked after a second, voice a little brighter. A false brightness.

Cloud was temporarily thrown by the subject change. “Sort of.” He admitted to his knees. 

“Talk to her?” Zack asked.

“No.” Cloud admitted.

“I’m sensing some issues here. Shouldn’t you do something?” Zack said as he leaned up again, looking at Cloud even as Cloud avoided his gaze. 

Cloud bowed his head and didn’t answer.

“I’m one to talk.” Zack said before standing from the bed. 

“I’m with Soldier, so… Fighting’s all I do. Sorting things out is someone else’s job. What’s going on. Who’s the enemy. It makes no difference to me!” Zack said as he walked over to his sword and raised it in a fighting stance as if there was an enemy in that very room. 

After a moment, he loosened his stance and pushed the broad side of the sword to his forehead with a deep sigh. 

“Hey, Zack. You know… I’ve never seen you use that.” Cloud said for lack of any other way to put it. But he hoped that his meaning came through. How could Zack be so bad, when he constantly left the strongest weapon in his arsenal untouched, even when going up against enemies?

Zack was silent, looking as if he was trapped deep in thought. Thought, or memories. 

“This is a symbol of my dreams and honor.” Zack said, lowering the sword slowly, looking as if he were having a revelation. “No. It’s more. That’s right. I had almost forgotten.” Zack murmured absently, almost more to himself than Cloud. 

“Thank you, Cloud.” Zack unexpectedly finished. 

“Huh?” Cloud said at the unexpected gratitude. 

“Right.” Zack cheered, warming Cloud’s heart at hearing the renewed cheerfulness in his friend’s voice, even as he was completely bewildered over what was going on. 

Zack waved his arms around, and Cloud watched a little dumbstruck as he walked back over to the bed and started doing squats of all things. (But Cloud had watched Zack do them before as a stress reliever, so maybe that wasn’t so strange?)

“I’m gonna crash. Night!” Zack said, suddenly rolling himself into his bed. 

Cloud stared at Zack laying in his bed, smile back on his face. He didn’t know what he’d said that had cheered Zack up so much. He’d made an inquiry about Zack’s sword because he thought maybe it would get Zack to clarify what he’d meant about Soldier being a den of monsters, but somehow he’d found the right words to make his friend feel better. Cloud was happy that he’d managed that. Really confused over what he might have said to provoke this response, but happy. 

Zack suddenly rolled back out of his bed to stand beside Cloud and smile down at him with unmistakable warmth, his eyes bright and determined and hopeful once more. “Thanks, Cloud.” He said more softly than he had before, leaning down to press another kiss to Cloud’s forehead, “You always know what to say.”

And Cloud could only sink his head into his knees with a blush and hope that that would always be true. 

***

**Two hundred, sixty eighth**

****

****

**(Cloud can’t be reached at the moment):**

“You did it.” Zack gasped, having finally managed to drag him those crucial few inches closer to Cloud after a few attempts, “Cloud, you did it. We’re safe now. You saved us.” 

Cloud just lay there, losing blood even as he pressed a hand against his wound to try to stop its flow- losing far too much blood for someone who wasn’t mako-enhanced. The fact that Cloud had managed to triumph over Sephiroth-even a wounded Sephiroth- was amazing enough. What were the chances that he’d pull off another miracle and make it through this?

But he **had** to.

Zack didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t.

(Didn’t know what he’d do if he lost Cloud.)

“Cloud,” He said again, desperate and determined both, “You’re going to make it through this, you hear? You can’t be the only person to ever beat Sephiroth only to die now. If you can beat Seph, you can survive **anything."**

Zack pressed a firm kiss to Cloud’s forehead, “That’s an order.” 

****

****

***

**Three hundred, ninety third**

****

****

**(but not a kiss at all):**

Cloud could only gasp, could only crawl, as he made his way slowly and painstakingly to his worst nightmare playing out right in front of him. No. Zack wasn’t- Zack **couldn’t be…**

“Zack.” He stuttered through numb lips.

“For the... both of us.” Zack barely managed to say, taking in gasping breaths. 

“Both… of us?” Cloud repeated, unable to do anything other than to repeat Zack’s words back to him, horror and denial stripping all other thoughts from his head. 

“That’s right. You’re gonna.”

“You’re gonna?”

“Live.” And Zack reached up to grasp the back of Cloud’s neck. But it was wrong, so wrong. It felt like Zack had attempted to do so, but his hand wasn't angling Cloud's head like it should be, tilting it to the perfect position for Zack's lips to press softly against his forehead. Instead, Cloud’s head was pressed down almost clumsily, resting against Zack’s chest while something warm, something wet stained his cheek. Oh Gods. Oh Gods, **no!**

“You’ll be… my living legacy.” 

Zack smiled weakly and let go of Cloud’s neck to reach for his sword and press it firmly into Cloud’s hands, “My honor. My dreams. They’re **yours** now.”

“I’m your… living legacy.” Cloud said, barely holding back his screams. No, no, no, nonono, this couldn’t be happening. Not Zack, please, **please** , not Zack!

Zack smiled and slumped to the muddy ground, the strength leaving his body… as the life left his eyes.

And Cloud **screamed** his grief to the uncaring sky.

***

**The promise of a kiss:**

“I’m still not sure I understand. The Planet is just… going to let me go back? I thought that once you were dead you stayed that way. I mean, with a few exceptions, obviously.” 

Aerith giggled from where she stood beside him, the bright white of the room? Area? the only other thing in sight. “The Planet let Cloud go back, silly. And that’s why it’s sending you back. The Champion has saved the world again, and the Planet’s decided to reward it with a gift. It was going to give Cloud another power boost, but… I convinced Her that sending you back would be much better.” 

“But if I leave, you’ll be all alone. There’s no one else that’s aware in this place.” Zack said, torn between the incredible desire to be with Cloud again- really **be with him** \- and the feeling that he’d be betraying his friend by doing so.

Aerith shook her head, “Zack, we broke up before your mission to Nibelheim because of your feelings for Cloud. And I know that those feelings for him have only grown stronger after everything the two of you went through, after how we’ve watched as he’s struggled since then. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for, but… I can’t say I look forward to watching you mope over not being able to be with Cloud for the next however long until he joins us for good. I’ve gotten quite enough of that these past few years.” 

Zack winced. He couldn’t deny that he’d probably been annoying at some points. It was- it was just so **hard** , seeing Cloud suffering and being unable to do anything to help him. 

Aerith turned to him with a smile, “Besides, if I ever need to reach either of you, I know how to get in touch. Now: it’s time for you to go.”

And suddenly, the white washed out everything as all Zack knew was its blinding light. 

***

**The first of many:**

Cloud opened the canteen in his hand before leaning down to dip it into the pool in Aerith’s church. There were some people that had the Stigma that weren’t able to make the trip all the way to the church, and Cloud definitely didn’t mind being the delivery boy to take them their cure. 

But Cloud paused as… something suddenly appeared in the water. 

And he completely froze as he saw just what shape that thing took. 

“Zack?” Cloud said uncertainly, unable to believe his eyes, unable to do anything but crouch there and stare as the man turned in the water to stand in it rather than float, as Cloud had done once. (Had it been just a few months ago? Did the water have effects on a person that they hadn’t yet discovered? Was Cloud hallucinating?)

Zack, or illusion Zack, was paying no attention to him for the moment, distractedly looking down at his hands as he opened and shut them again and again, “Man oh man, having a body again sure does feel weird.” The illusion said, sounding so perfectly Zack that it made Cloud want to cry. 

Then illusion Zack caught sight of Cloud’s frozen form and began walking toward it, smiling that bright, warm smile that Cloud had so adored. When the illusion reached the pools edge, it braced one hand on the ground and used it to push itself halfway out of the water, simultaneously using the other hand to grab the back of Cloud’s neck to draw him into a burning, heated kiss that carried years of repressed longing and lost chances behind it.

“Sorry, not sorry, Cloud.” Zack said, pulling back after a moment to regard him with laughing, heated eyes, “I’ve been waiting to do that for a **long** time.” 

Cloud swallowed harshly as he took in a breath since the first time that Zack had pushed himself up from the pool. Illusions didn’t do that. Illusions didn’t draw him into kisses, or have breath that Cloud could feel against his face, or have hands to grasp the back of his neck firmly with.

Zack was real. Zack was real. Zack was **here**. 

Launching himself from the edge of the pool, Cloud dove into Zack’s form, pressing his lips insistently against the man’s own to Zack’s muffled laughter and happy participation, even as they both got knocked back into the water. 

Zack was back, and Cloud would never- **could** never- let him go again.


End file.
